Old Flames
by IlyenaStreep
Summary: When Sharon reveals part of her history with Andy in a moment of anger, things change in ways neither of them could have imagined.
1. Chapter 1

"You know what, Flynn. Fuck you, just fuck you. I just saved your entire division's asses and you have the guts to humiliate me. How fucking dare you?" Andy took a step back away from the seething captain Raydor. But she simply followed him, poking him in his chest.

"Captain, please, calm down," the chief tried, but Raydor simply turned her glare towards the blonde. Even now, when she was stripped of her blazer and the sleeve was cut off her blouse to show a half finished bandage, captain Raydor this angry was still a terrifying sight to behold.

"No, chief. You screwed up, all of you. If it wasn't for me an innocent girl would be dead right now and who knows how many more. I got shot," Raydor snarled lifting her arm to show where the bullet had burned through her skin, blood soaking through the bandage. "And humiliation is the thanks I get? It's fine to call me names when I'm pursuing an OIS, but right now, none of you have the right."

"You're right, captain, you're absolutely right, but maybe you should go back to the ambulance and let them check out that wound," the chief said carefully pointing at the blood, now slowly dripping down the woman's arm. Raydor sneered and turned on her heel, she didn't get very far before Provenza opened his mouth.

"Someone is in a bad mood," he muttered.

"Lieutenant," the Chief cried, but it was too late. Raydor whirled around and lifted her hand, ready to slap him across his face. If Andy thought she was scary before, it was nothing compared to this. The entire team held their breath. Just before she could hit him, Andy grabbed her wrist, stilling her motion.

"Captain don't," he said softly, trying to get her to look in his eyes. When she finally did, he wished she hadn't. The green was ablaze with anger, hatred and pain.

"Let me go," she hissed, trying to break free from his grip, but he only tightened it.

"You don't want to do this, Sharon. It's not like you."

"Don't treat me like you know me, Flynn. You gave up that right when you kicked me out of your bed after I helped you sober up." Her words stung more than any slap ever could, Andy blinked and released her grip on her wrist. She yanked her arm free and marched over to the ambulance where she wrapped an arm around the girl she had saved before she allowed a paramedic to look at her wound.

Andy turned away from her and refused to meet the questioning eyes of Major Crimes as he walked away from them, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He had hurt her and not just when he made that Wicked Witch crack. He didn't know what had possessed him to say it when he saw her, the little girl on her lap, holding her close to her body.

He kicked against the curb. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was the biggest idiot he knew and that was saying something, since one of his closest friends was Provenza. And even he didn't know about his history with Sharon Raydor.

_She was tracing random patterns on his chest with her nails, her head resting on his shoulder. He threaded his fingers through her hair, enjoying the feeling of the silky strands. It broke his heart what he had to do, but there simply was no other way. _

"_I think that we should end this," he said softly. She froze in his arms, pulling her hand away as she sat up, an unreadable expression on her face. _

"_End what? Us?" she asked incredulously, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. _

"_Yes."_

"_Why?" Her voice was ice cold. It was what she did. If someone hurt her, she retreated into herself and raised her shields and didn't allow any emotion to escape._

"_I need to get a fresh start. My sponsor said it's easier to avoid falling off the wagon that way," he explained. She narrowed her eyes at him before stepping off the bed, searching for her clothes. _

"_And did your sponsor tell you that you needed to break up with your girlfriend?" He watched as she stepped into the lacy panties that he loved so much, settling them around her hips. She picked up the matching bra and put that on as well. Her voice may have been calm, but he could see in her movements that she was angry. _

"_No, but you knew me as a drunk. I can see it in your eyes. Every day you wonder if I'm going to drink and I can't deal with that," he said softly. Sharon yanked her dress over head before whirling around to look at him. _

"_You can't deal with that? All it means is that I'm worried about you and I think I have the right. I've cleaned up after you more times than I can remember. I was the one that dragged your miserable ass to detox and drove you to every one of those AA meetings. I had to deal with all of that and never once complained. The thought of breaking up with you didn't even cross my mind. But when you're sober enough to realize I am genuinely concerned for you, you break up with me."_

"_It's not like that Sharon, I just - -," he tried, but she cut him off as she slipped into her shoes, increasing her height by 4 inches as she leaned over him._

"_Please save it, Andy. I don't want to hear, I don't need to hear. You want me gone, fine, I'm going. Just know that if you drink again, I'm not going to be there for you," Sharon said coolly, before giving him a look that told him he had hurt her more than he could have possibly have imagined._

"_Sharon."_

"_Oh, and if I hear one rumor, one whisper about Sergeant Flynn fucking that frigid bitch from IA, there won't be enough alcohol in the world to numb the pain I'll put you through." Andy felt his mouth fall open as he watched her exit his room. He had really fucked up this time._

"So, you and Raydor," Provenza said, coming up to walk next to him. Andy didn't look at him, instead he appeared to be incredibly interested in his shoes.

"Yeah," he replied, knowing exactly where this conversation was going.

"What on earth possessed you to hook up with her?" And there it was, the disgust in Provenza's tone. He wished that he could have known Sharon as he had, but Sharon simply didn't allow anyone to come close anymore, protecting herself with her Captain Raydor mask.

"Don't. Okay, just don't. She's the one that sobered me up and I treated her like shit. She has got every right to get angry with me," he snapped.

"Sorry. She's just so, you know, and you're so different."

"I know. And yet we were good together." He and Sharon had had their fights, but they always made up and their dates had been wonderful. Behind her professional mask, Sharon was a warm person, completely devoted to her children and passionate about everything she got into. And Andy didn't even want to think about the sex which had been fantastic.

"Did you really kick her out of bed?" Provenza asked. Andy scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"As good as. I regret it to this very day," he said softly. Provenza frowned, glancing towards the woman they were talking about.

"Right. Well, the chief wants to talk to you."

"I'm sure she does." Provenza gave him a pat on the back and a reassuring smile, before returning to the crime scene. Andy quickly followed him. They were just wheeling the body of the man Sharon had killed, the man who had abducted and killed three young girls, out of the house. Sharon was still sitting in the ambulance, holding the little girl who clung to her, fear still in her eyes as Sharon whispered soothing words in her ear.

"Lieutenant, are you okay?" the chief asked. He tore his eyes away from Sharon. The chief looked up at him with nothing but concern in her eyes. He was slightly relieved there wasn't any contempt in them now that she knew how close he had been with the woman she had positively despised.

"Yeah. The little girl, is she okay?"

"She's in shock, but physically she's fine. According to captain Raydor's statement she arrived just in time. Her wound isn't too severe either, by the way." She smiled weakly and lightly touched him on the arm, just to show her support.

"Good. How could we make such a mistake?" He asked, more to himself than to the chief but she answered him anyway.

"I don't know. Captain Raydor knew, she knew what was going on. She tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. I told her that her only job was to make sure that we followed to rules, not to take over my job as well. Why didn't I listen?"

"Nobody listened, chief. We ignore captain Raydor, hoping that ignoring her will solve our problems. We should be happy she's as stubborn as you are, chief."

"Yes, thank God she is."

"Chief, FID says we can enter the house." Sanchez shouted from the door. The chief nodded and then looked back at Andy.

"You coming?" she asked when he lingered.

"Actually, can I stay out here? I'd like to talk with captain Raydor." The chief looked towards Sharon and shook her head.

"Normally I'd say yes, but not right now, lieutenant. She's been through a lot tonight and I don't want you upsetting her. And she's taking care of the girl. She's the only one the girl will talk to. So no."

"Chief - -,"

"No, lieutenant. You're coming with me." With that the chief turned and started walking towards the house. Andy threw one last look at Sharon and the girl. The girl had fallen asleep in Sharon's lap, her head resting against her shoulder as Sharon softly stroked her hair before he followed the chief into the house.

"Captain Raydor entered the house here," Tao started. "she then checked the living room and the kitchen before going into this backroom where she found the suspect and the victim. In her statement captain Raydor said the victim was tied to the bed and was pointing a gun at her. When she entered he fired at her. The bullet hit her arm and then slammed into the wall."

Andy turned and saw the tiny hole in the wall. He looked down and saw the chalk on the floor marking where Sharon had been, drops of her blood staining the floor. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the wound he had seen in her arm. She was going to be alright. He didn't have to worry about her anymore.

"Captain Raydor fired back and hit the suspect in the chest. He fell down over here. Captain Raydor checked for his pulse and then freed the victim. Then she called it in." On the bed Andy could see the shackles that had held the victims. On the grimy mattress he saw a smear of Sharon's blood where she had wrapped her arms around the girl before carrying her outside.

"Right, I want all the evidence that relates to our case. Go over every inch. I don't want to miss anything. I want to be a hundred percent sure that this guy was acting alone."

It was late in the evening when Andy walked into the hospital. Visiting hours were long over, but he just had to see her. He didn't particularly feel like going for round two, but he couldn't just let it be either. According to the nurse she had checked out as a patient, but she was still with Ellen, the little girl she had saved.

He knocked softly on the door before entering. Sharon turned around in her chair, narrowing her eyes before putting on her glasses. Then she rolled her eyes and frowned. She turned back around, looking at the sleeping form of Ellen.

"I'm sorry," he said and put a chair next to hers, sitting down in it. He could tell from the tension she held in his shoulders that she wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"How far back does that sorry go?" she asked sharply, not bothering to look at him.

"How far back to do you need it to go?"

"About a decade and a half," she said and smiled weakly, a look of concern flashing over her face when Ellen stirred in her sleep, mumbling something. Sharon got up and stroked the girl's hair, whispering that everything was alright until she settled down again and she continued to sleep peacefully.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you at the crime scene," she said softly, meeting his eyes. Andy was surprised by her apology.

"You were right," he stated honestly.

"Still, I shouldn't have cursed or told everyone about our past," she replied, sitting down again as she brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe you shouldn't have, but you were angry and wanted to hurt me. You were the one that was so adamant on keeping our relationship a secret. It just surprised me." A look of pain washed of her face as she cast her eyes downwards.

"And I hurt you," she whispered.

"Well, yeah, but I think, considering everything I've done to you over the years, that I had that one coming," Andy said in airy tone, hoping to lighten the mood a little. He didn't want to bring up all those emotions again.

"Maybe." But his words had made a small smile appear on her face.

"I am sorry for what I did to you now and then," he apologized again, reaching out to carefully place a hand on her arm. She tensed briefly, but didn't push it away. Sharon sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"That's all in the past. All I want now from you and Major Crimes is some respect."

"You got it. From me anyway."

"Thank you," she said sincerely before turning her attention to the sleeping girl. He followed her gaze. He couldn't imagine what Ellen had gone through these past two days.

"How's she doing?"

"Physically she's fine, a little dehydrated and undernourished. Mentally, I think it will be long way before she is fully recovered. If she ever will be. She only talks to me when we're alone. As soon as someone else walks into the room, she just refuses to talk," Sharon replied, the same concern lacing her voice as when she talked about one of her children being sick.

"And her parents?"

"She's an orphan, remember? No known family. She's a child of foster homes and social services."

"Oh right. So what will happen to her now?"

"I don't know," Sharon admitted, a little exasperated. He could see in her eyes that in the short time she had been with the girl, she had already grown fond of her, maybe a little too fond. She shifted in her seat, hissing when she readjusted her wounded arm.

"How's your arm?" he asked.

"Like it was pierced by a bullet. Hurts like hell, but I'll live. Now I'll have scar to match the one on my stomach." He raised his eyebrows. "You don't remember? I think I told you when we were dating. I was shot during my first week as a cop."

"Oh, right. I remember," Andy said with a sly grin. He remembered finding the scar that marked her flawless skin, he remembered paying extra attention to it with his tongue, making her squirm. When she saw the look on his face Sharon lightly slapped him on the arm.

"Don't go there, Andy," she warned him.

"Go where?" he asked innocently.

"Don't think about the times you saw me naked." Her words made him do exactly that. He could picture her on his bed, or rising above him. He remembered the feeling of her legs wrapped around him, what she sounded like when she came.

"What makes you think I was thinking about that?"

"Because you had that look on your face you always used to have right before you tried to get me out of my clothes."

"You remember that?"

"It's not something I easily forget." Andy didn't know how to reply to that. He just watched her profile, that unique profile he couldn't forget no matter how hard he had tried until she turned her head to meet his eyes. Even in the faint light, he could see all those little lines on her face that hadn't been there all those years ago, countless of little laugh lines around her mouth and her eyes. Her hair was longer and fuller. She was even more beautiful then she was back then.

He caught himself staring at her lips, slightly parted as her tongue flicked out to wet them. He leaned in and was delighted to see that she was leaning in too. They were so close, only a hair's breadth between them when a knock made them jump apart.

"Sorry to interrupt. Nightly rounds," A young nurse said, oblivious of what she had interrupted. Andy looked away at a hideous painting on the wall. "How is she doing?"

"She's been sleeping for the past two hours. She's restless from time to time, but otherwise, I think she's fine," Sharon replied, suddenly sounding like she was talking about one of her own children.

"Well, she's sleeping. That's always a good sign. I'll just change her IV and be out of here," the nurse said and walked up to the bed. Sharon joined her, making sure Ellen didn't wake up when the nurse carefully changed the bag and hooked the tube up to it. Ellen only briefly opened her eyes, but when she saw Sharon she closed them again and continued to sleep. The nurse bid them goodnight and left. The silence that followed was awkward, almost painful.

"So," Andy started, not sure where he was going. Sharon looked at him expectantly. "I guess I should go."

"Yeah," Sharon sighed, almost disappointed.

"Okay, well, I'm glad you're alright. Goodnight." He leaned in and gave her a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. Sharon made a little shocked sound in the back of her throat, but didn't stop him. Her lips were still as soft as he remembered. She still smelled the same. With a great reluctance he pulled back, watching a small smile appear on Sharon's face.

He was about to turn and walk away when Sharon put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head down for a real kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to touch her arm as he pulled her close to him, her body touching his as she parted her lips, granting his tongue access. He groaned when their tongues met. She tasted so good. He almost forgotten what an excellent kisser she was or how good she felt in his arms. He regretted it when they ran out of air and simply had to break the kiss.

"That was - -," Sharon started.

"Great, mindblowingly so," he finished for her. She rolled her eyes, but was unable to hide a grin.

"I was going to go for unexpected, but that works," she admitted while absentmindedly straightening his tie.

"Sharon, I don't know what - -,"

"No," she said, interrupting him as she shook her head. "Let's not talk now. Tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

Andy sat at his desk, playing with a pencil as he watched the rest of the Major Crimes Division do something as equally useless. They had been waiting there for more than fifteen minutes, attempting to find out what Pope was saying to the Chief, but these glass walls of her office were a lot more soundproof than those in the old building. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. Pope's face had been red with anger when he marched into the Murder room.

Just when the tension became almost unbearable, he heard the familiar clicking of stiletto heels on linoleum. Nobody else really seemed to notice it, or just didn't recognize the sound the way he did. Though everybody did turn their heads when Sharon, dressed to the nines in one of her business suits, not a hair out of place, turned the corner.

"Captain," Provenza said and Andy prayed that he wasn't going to say something stupid or provoke her in anyway. This time he wouldn't stop her if she wanted to slap him. "Back so soon?"

"Yes, lieutenant. Why? Were you worried you couldn't live without me for a few days?" She asked, her voice an awful kind of sweet as the look on her face dared Provenza to reply in a crass way, just so she could send him on another sensitivity course which Andy knew she would do in a heartbeat.

"Not exactly," Provenza murmured. Maybe his narrow escape from a slap yesterday had taught him something after all. Maybe he should have let her slap him. The thought of her red handprint on his cheek was almost worth it.

"Captain." Everybody turned to look at the chief's office, where Pope had appeared. They had been so wrapped up in watching the staring contest between Raydor and Provenza that they hadn't noticed that the door had opened. "A word," he said. "Now."

Andy saw how Sharon's lips thinned. Everybody knew what that tone meant. Trouble. But much to her credit she held her head high and her expression rather neutral as she walked into the chief's office, her left arm a little stiff by her side. The worry he had felt for the chief when she had to deal with Pope was nothing compared to what he felt for Sharon now. The soft slam with which the office door closed felt like a punch to the gut.

He didn't pay any attention to the conversation that started around him, throwing the wildest suggestions about what Pope would do with Raydor. He simply gripped the pencil tightly, almost snapping it in half. He was pulled out of his reverie by Provenza's voice.

"Flynn, what do you think Pope's gonna do?" Luckily before he could answer, the door swung open and Sharon walked out. Andy could see that it took a lot of concentration for her not to become angry again. She was quickly followed by Pope and the chief.

"Captain, be reasonable," Pope said. Sharon spun around, biting her lip to stop from crying when she slammed her arm into a desk. Pulling it up to cradle it against her chest, she shot Pope glare, before the chief decided to step in.

"Chief Pope, please. The captain did save a little girl's life by disobeying my orders. Just give her an official reprimand or something. There is no need to suspend her." Andy eyes widened when he heard the chief's words. There was no way Pope was going to suspend Sharon for saving Ellen's life. He didn't realize he had broken the pencil until he felt Provenza's hand on his shoulder.

"Brenda, stay out of this," Pope warned her which turned out to be exactly the wrong words.

"No, _Will_, I won't. She just disobeyed an order. It's what I do all the time. Are you going to suspend me too?" the chief snapped, putting her hands on her hips. Everybody in the room held their breaths. This was an absolute first, the chief jumping in to protect captain Raydor and there was something both terrifying and satisfying about it.

"If I have to. Captain Raydor is supposed to make sure that Major Crimes is following the rules to the letter. And then she pulls a stunt like this?" If situation wasn't so serious, it would have been hilarious. Pope's face was getting red and he was gesturing with his arms that just made him look slightly insane.

"Because I wouldn't listen to her. She could have just let that girl die and then blame me for negligence, but she didn't."

"Excuse me," Sharon smooth voice interrupted their shouting match. She was still cradling her arm and Andy could see that a dark spot had started to appear on the sleeve her jacket and it was growing. "I dislike being talked about as if I'm not here. Chief Pope, I only came here today to ask for a few days of leave, because I'd like to stay with the girl I saved. As you may have been told I am the only one she trusts and frankly, I feel uncomfortable leaving her alone for too long."

"Captain - -," Pope tried to interrupt her, but Sharon wouldn't let him.

"I wasn't finished yet, chief. I'll be back in three days, if you still want to suspend me, be prepared to fight. And for once I am sure chief Johnson would back me up. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are, captain," the chief said firmly and glared at Pope who cringed under the weight of two lethal looks directed at him. Andy was glad he wasn't him. Either one of those women could be scary, but when they joined forces, he was certain they could make any grown man cry.

"Fine, no suspension. But I'll put an official reprimand in your file."

"Yes, sir," Sharon said, but Andy could hear the defiance and the victory in her tone and he could see the same thing on the chief's face. Pope frowned at them and then walked away. Sharon waited for him to be gone before she swayed and had to steady herself against the desk. Before Andy even had a chance to jump up, the chief had wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to a chair.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked as she took in Sharon's pale face.

"Yeah, I think I just ripped my stitches. Can you help me get out of my blazer?" Sharon fingers shook as she brought her hand up to unbutton the three buttons of her blazer, but she seemed to have trouble sliding the buttons through the holes. The chief quickly took over, easily opening the jacket.

"Lieutenant Flynn, can you get the med kit?" the chief asked. He nodded and immediately rushed to the cabinet that held the kit. In a few long strides he reached them, fell to his knees beside Sharon's chair and opened the kit, watching as the chief helped Sharon out of her blazer, leaving her in nothing but a rather sheer white tank top. The fabric was so thin, he could see the purple lace of her bra underneath it.

But he averted it eyes, looking at her wound instead. She had ripped the few stitches that held her skin together and she was bleeding again, blood trickling down the pale skin of her arm as she gripped the arm of the chair tightly with the hand of her good arm. Quickly he reached for some gauze, pressing it gently to the wound. Sharon hissed but didn't make another sound.

"Sorry," he said. Even through her concentration of trying not to focus on the pain, Sharon managed to force a small smile on her lips.

"You should go back to the hospital, captain," the chief said, wiping the little blood she had gotten on her hands when she helped Sharon out of her blazer on a tissue. Andy saw a look of genuine concern on the chief's face. It took a bullet and rescuing a little girl, but he thought there was finally hope of a real friendship between the two most powerful women of the LAPD.

"I'll be fine, chief," Sharon said through her gritted teeth. "Just need to get the bleeding under control and bandage it and I'll be good to go."

"Don't be silly. You're obviously in pain."

"Yes, well, the human body wasn't made to be pierced by lead. I'll be alright, honestly." She gasped when Andy pulled the soaked through gauze away and replaced it with another. Brenda frowned but wisely kept her mouth shut. "Thank you for defending me, chief," Sharon added, almost as an afterthought, but the words were sincere.

"As you pointed out at the crime scene, you saved my division a lot of trouble. I couldn't stand idly by as chief Pope decided to punish you instead of giving you the credit you deserve."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me, Brenda," Sharon said the chief's name carefully as if trying to find out if she had the permission to do so. The chief appeared surprised before she smilec warmly.

"You're welcome, Sharon. If there's anything I can do."

"As a matter of fact, there is," Sharon said, unable to keep her smile hidden when she saw the chief's eyes widen. "Don't worry. I have spare set of clothes in my office. Could you please get them for me? I don't really feel comfortable if I got any of my men to bring them to me. There are some more delicate things there." The chief audibly sighed in relief. Andy wondered what she had feared Sharon might ask of her.

"Of course. Where are they?"

"Bottom drawer of my desk. Thank you." The chief nodded, squeezed Sharon's shoulder and walked away, to the floor just above them. Andy pulled away the gauze and saw that the bleeding had almost stopped. With a sanitary wipe, he washed away the blood on her arm before he started wrapping a bandage around her arm. Andy could feel the eyes off the Major Crimes Division on them, staring at them.

"Thank you, lieutenant," Sharon said. He looked up and was met with a soft gaze. Even when her face was pale because of the pain, she was still so beautiful.

"My pleasure, captain," he responded, flashing her a quick smile.

"Captain, if I may," Tao interrupted and Sharon turned her head as if she'd almost forgotten the other men were there, the soft look disappearing from her eye. "How is Ellen, the little girl?"

"She's traumatized. She will only talk to me and only when no one else is in the room. But physically she'll be alright soon," Sharon told, much like she had told Andy the previous night, but with a little less emotion. But Andy could see the sadness in her eyes. Unconsciously he reached out and covered her hand with his own and Sharon curled her fingers around his. Just then the chief came back, holding a bundle of clothes.

"I didn't know what you needed, so I brought it all save for you know." Sharon released his hand and smiled at the chief's uncomfortable way of not mentioning what was probably underwear. With Andy's help Sharon got up to her feet.

"That's fine. I hate to ask you this, chief, but could you possibly help me change? I'm afraid I won't manage with this arm." The chief flushed but nodded. Together with Sharon, they walked into her office and closed the door behind them. And then there was silence in the Murder room, all eyes on Andy, until Provenza whistled.

"What?"

"You have got it bad," Provenza said and Sanchez snorted before nodding. Gabriel and Tao seemed to agree too. And Buzz he averted his eyes, but Andy could see that he thought the same thing. Sighing, he shook his head, picked the things he used to help Sharon up and walked to the kitchen. He dumped everything in the trash and washed Sharon's blood off his hands. When he turned around Provenza was there.

"So you've fallen for the wicked witch. Again. And don't deny it, I can see it. The way you were gaping at her."

"And what if I have?"

"I don't like her and I still don't trust her. She's dangerous, manipulative and unpredictable." Andy rolled his eyes and wanted to walk past him, anger flaring up in him. But Provenza grabbed his arm, stopping him. "But she has feelings for you and you'd be an idiot if you didn't act on them."

"Thanks," Andy said and prayed that Provenza was right about Sharon having feelings for him.

"And if you get together, can you make her take her jacket off more often? Your woman has a good taste in lingerie." Provenza grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

"Sure, you just won't be there to witness it. Pervert." Smirking Andy walked back into the murder room, just as Sharon exited the chief's office, wearing another suit. She had made a makeshift sling out of the white tank top. Andy was glad she finally had done something sensible. The chief followed her, holding a plastic bag that probably held Sharon's bloodstained business suit.

For a brief moment he was incredibly jealous of the chief. She had helped Sharon out of her clothes, had seen her in that expensive underwear. She had worn things like that when they were still together and they had never failed to turn him on. The chief had probably helped slide up her pants up those endless legs. He shook his head. He shouldn't think like that.

"Thank you, Brenda. I'm going back to the hospital to be with Ellen. I'll be reachable on my cell phone, should you need me."

"You are free for next three days. I don't even want to see you near this building until then."

"Is that an order?"

"Do I have to make it one?" Andy watched the interaction with interest. They were smiling at each other, genuinely smiling and for there didn't seem be any ulterior motives. They honestly liked each other, at least at the moment.

"No. You'll be free of me for a few days. Enjoy it." Sharon took the plastic bag from the chief, slung it over her shoulder and turned walking out of the murder room. Andy jumped up and followed her.

"Hold on, Sharon. How are going to get to the hospital?"

"With my car," Sharon replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Which it was if it hadn't been for her condition. He lowered gaze to the arm that was currently being held against her body by the makeshift sling.

"You're in no condition to drive." She rolled her eyes at his words, but unconsciously her good hand went up to touch her arm.

"I can drive with one hand. I got here that way," Sharon retorted, shooting Andy a look that dared him to continue challenging her, but right now he was unimpressed by it. He might not know what the hell was going on between them, but he knew that he didn't want her to herself again.

"I'm sure you can, but you're not going to. Can you call someone who can drive you?" Sharon frowned, clenching her jaw.

"Yes, my daughter," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Call her. Go ahead, I'll wait." Sharon shot him a glare, but retrieved her phone from her pocket and dialed her daughter's number. After a short conversation she had confirmed that her daughter was coming to pick her up. Andy gave her satisfied look.

"Happy now?"

"No. While you're in the hospital, have someone stitch you up again. That bandage isn't going to be enough." Sharon cocked her head to the side, running a hand through her hair as if she was trying to decided whether he was joking or actually concerned for her health.

"Fine," she said finally.

"I'll come by later, if that's okay."

"That would be good. We still need to talk." With a smile, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She smiled at him before turning around and walking towards the elevator. He wondered if she had put an extra sway to her hips or if that was just his imagination.

It was late when Andy arrived at the hospital and he hoped Sharon was still here. Right after she had left, they were called away to a crime scene. And instead of Sharon being the one to follow them around, some snooty sergeant of hers had taken over. Rubbing his hand over his face, he entered Ellen's room, stopping when he saw the scene in front of him.

Sharon was lying in Ellen's bed, her left arm in a proper sling now. Her blazer was on the chair and he could see that his bandage had been taken off and her wound had been stitched up. She was curled around Ellen's small body, her right wrapped arm around the little girl's shoulders as she held her close. Ellen had grasped a handful of the shirt Sharon was wearing. They both looked as if they were sleeping peacefully.

He stood for a while in the door opening, just watching them sleep before he decided to tiptoe closer to the bed. Carefully he brushed a lock of hair out of Sharon's face. She looked so vulnerable asleep, so beautiful. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. She didn't stir and neither did Ellen. So he turned and quietly tried to leave the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sharon croaked, her voice heavy with sleep. He turned back around and saw how Sharon slipped her glasses on her nose. She tried to get up, but realized Ellen was lying on top of her arm and was holding her shirt rather tightly, so she stopped. "I guess that talk is out of the question now."

"I was going home. I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, taking a few steps closer to her.

"Well, you did. Come a little closer please," she said, taking her arm out the sling, testing its movement capabilities. Andy walked back to the side of the bed. Sharon crooked a finger gesturing for him to come closer. Grinning, he understood what she wanted and bend down to capture her very willing lips in a slow kiss. Her lips moved against his, prying his apart so their tongues could meet. She hummed into the kiss. When he pulled back, he noticed a pair of big blue eyes watching them.

"Oh honey, did we wake you?" Sharon asked Ellen, attempting to tug the blanket a little further up, but failed and hissed in pain. Andy did it for her. Ellen never took her eyes off him as she shook her head, her blonde curls moving against the pillow.

"I'm going to go," Andy said, kissing the corner of Sharon's mouth. "Maybe I'll come see you tomorrow."

"You'd better. But we're going home tomorrow." Andy raised his eyebrows at the 'we' part of the sentence. Was Ellen coming with her? "I got temporal custody," Sharon continued seeing the question on his face. "It's a long story. I'll tell you tomorrow. Do you still remember where I live?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow. And you too," he said to Ellen. The girl moved closer to Sharon, burying her face in Sharon's shirt. Sharon stroked her hair and flashed Andy a brief smile before she returned her attention to Ellen, trying to sooth her back to sleep.

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

**I am terribly sorry about the long wait and sadly I cannot promise how quickly I'll update again. I just have a lot of things going on in my personal life which interferes immensely with my writing. But I do love all of the lovely reviews you all have left me. I am really grateful. Thank you! Hopefully, you will enjoy the update.  
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><p>The next day Andy couldn't wait for the day to pass. They had picked up the scumbag who had killed two teenagers for no apparent reason. The sergeant from FID was gone and there was nothing left to do but paperwork. Which caused Andy's mind to wander to places that had absolutely nothing to with a double homicide and everything to do with a green-eyed captain.<p>

What was going on between them? No less than two days ago Sharon had nearly bitten his head off in front of his division and that same night they kissed. They had kissed like there was no tomorrow. And then yesterday as he took care of her wound and later in the hospital, everything felt so familiar. It felt right. It felt like they belonged.

He finished his paperwork as quickly as he could and made his way to Sharon's house. It had been years since he had been there, but he could remember it as if it was yesterday. He could find her apartment building with his eyes closed if he had to. But as he stood in front of her door, Andy suddenly felt nervous, but still knocked on the door. A few moments later Sharon opened it.

"Hi," she said, smiling. She looked stunning in a pair of dark jeans and a simple white blouse, her hair falling in loose curls around her face and over her shoulders. Her feet were bare and stubborn as she was, she wasn't wearing her sling.

"Hi," he replied weakly, left rather breathless by her appearance.

"Come in," Sharon said as she stepped aside to let him in. He walked past her and she closed the door behind him. "There's a plate for you in the kitchen, if you haven't eaten yet. Would you mind heating it up yourself and just start already? I was just putting Ellen in bed."

"Not at all. You go ahead. She's important."

"Thanks." And with that words she rushed down the hallway towards Ellen. He smiled. The girl was lucky to have found someone she could trust and have that someone be Sharon Raydor who had a much bigger heart than she let on most of the time.

In the kitchen he found a plate with some kind of pasta thing that smelled delicious. He put it in the microwave for a few minutes while he wandered through her living room, looking at the pictures he found there. Pictures of Sharon's children, so grown up now. There was one picture that drew his attention where Sharon was surrounded by her two children, arms wrapped around them.

It was supposed to have been really posed picture, but something must have gone wrong, because all three of them were laughing. Sharon's daughter had her head on her mother's shoulder, tears on her cheeks and her son had covered his eyes, a smile from ear to ear. Sharon herself had a wide smile on her face, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her children. She looked happy.

He heard the microwave signal that his dinner was ready, but before he could walk to the kitchen, he heard a soft sound coming from down the hall. So he walked out of the kitchen, leaned against the wall and listened. It was very faint, but he was certain. It was Sharon, singing a lullaby he didn't know. Her voice wasn't perfect, but it was soft and heartwarming. And perfect for singing a child to sleep. When she stopped, he snuck back to the kitchen, taking out the plate and started eating. Not a few seconds later Sharon appeared.

"Were you listening?" she asked as she sat down across from him, resting her wounded arm on the table. He raised his eyebrows, feigning innocence, but Sharon saw right through him.

"How did you know?"

"I am a cop. I didn't become captain because I'm so well-liked in the LAPD," Sharon replied as she plucked a grape from the fruit bowl and popped it in her mouth.

"And here I thought you were our own Miss Congeniality," he replied dryly. Sharon made a choking sound, before a full blown laugh fell past her lips. He had missed that sound, that melodious, infectious laugh of hers.

"Does that make Chief Johnson Miss LAPD?" Sharon asked, still laughing. A mental image flashed through his mind of the Chief in some ugly glittering dress and a tiara, talking about world peace and solving the hunger in the world. He joined Sharon in her laughter. When their laughter subsided, he took another bite, watching Sharon.

"So you got temporal custody of Ellen."

"Yes. Social services came by yesterday, saying they were going to place her with a foster family. She's only six years old, but she understood and just panicked. I convinced that woman to place her with me for the time being, until they can find a suitable home for her." Sharon replied, looking towards the stairs.

"Seems like a smart move."

"I guess. But she's six and traumatized, so the chances of her finding a family to live with are pretty slim. I don't want her to end up back in the system, but I don't think I have it in me to raise another child. I'm too old and tired to take on that responsibility," she said with a sigh. He could see she was really torn between raising the girl and trying to find a good family for her.

"You're not too old."

"I'm only a few years younger than you, Andy. Would you want to raise a young child at this point in your life?" Thanks to his ex-wife he had barely had the chance to raise his own children, but at nearly sixty he did not want to raise a child again.

"No. But I'm not you," he replied with a smile. If anyone could raise that girl properly and with love, it was Sharon.

"I don't know if I should be grateful or disappointed."

"I'd be grateful."

"You're a good man, Andy. Don't forget that." She reached across and placed a hand on his, her thumb stroking the skin of the back of his hand.

"Is that why we kissed?" he asked. Sharon looked at him for a moment before she averted her eyes and removed her hand.

"I don't know," Sharon replied after a while. She got up, took his empty plate and walked over to the sink where she started to rinse it. Andy looked at her, the way the blouse clung to her body and the jeans that looked like a second skin. He slid off his chair and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Sharon shut off the tap and let her head fall back against his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"What are we doing?" she asked softly, letting her right hand come up to caress his hand. Sharon tilted her head back, her eyes searching his before he leaned down to kiss her. The angle was a bit awkward, but neither of them really cared. Not until Sharon turned around in his arms and allowed him to deepen the kiss as she wrapped an arm around his neck.

He groaned, feeling her body pressed against his, her hips meeting his, slowly moving against his, turning him on. Sliding his hands down from her waist to her ass, her perfect ass in those tight jeans, he pulled her closer. She made a surprised sound in the back of her throat when she felt the evidence how much he wanted her against her stomach.

Moving his hands between their bodies, Andy unbuttoned a few buttons of her blouse, enough to reveal the white lace bra underneath it. He pulled back long enough to see what he had uncovered, watching her nipples tighten under his stare. He cupped her breasts, brushing his thumbs over her nipples through the fabric, smiling when he heard her gasp.

They kissed again, harder this time and Sharon hand found its way to his half hard cock, palming it through the fabric of his pants, slowly moving over it until he was rock hard, rocking into her hand. Pulling one hand away from her breasts, he moved it between her legs, cupping her, feeling the heat from her centre. She moaned into the kiss. It felt amazing to have her in his arms again like this. A sudden scream made them jump apart.

"Shit," Sharon whispered, hastily buttoning up her blouse. "That's Ellen, she has nightmares. I have to go. I'll be right back." Then she ran to the room where the little girl was as the screams were slowly subsiding. Andy let himself fall on her sofa. Sharon's question had been a good one. What were they doing? They just groped each other like a couple of horny teenagers in her kitchen. He felt like a horny teenager, in love with the most beautiful girl of the school.

He had made a big mistake when he broke up with her and he had thought that that part of his life was over, but now he was falling in love with her all over again and it felt like she was doing the same thing. But it was all happening so fast and there was so much history between them. It could go completely wrong if he screwed up again.

"She's sleeping again." Sharon startled him. He had been so wrapped in his thoughts he hadn't heard her approach. She sat down next to him, hands carefully folded in her lap.

"Good." A silence wrapped around them. It felt uncomfortable, like something bad was going to happen.

"Okay, I need to know this," Sharon said, sounding nervous and bossy at the same time. "Is this a game you're playing? Are you just trying to fuck me? Because if you are - -,"

"No, God, no. Sharon. I wouldn't do that to you," he said quickly. He could understand her doubts after last time. Sharon sighed and smiled.

"I wasn't trying to insult you, but I just needed to know before I got too involved with you."

"It's okay. I understand."

"I don't think you do. I got over you last time. I learned to not want you anymore and I promised myself that I wouldn't let myself get close to you anymore."

"Sharon,

"I'm not finished yet. We've been moving so fast and it's been great and confusing. But I need to know what you want from me before you get the ability to hurt me again."

"Look at me, please. I don't want anything from you that you're not willing to give. I don't want to hurt you. Not again. What I did last time was messed up and wrong and I shouldn't have done it. And if there was some way to show you that you could trust me, I would."

"Thank you."

"So where do we go from here?"

"Well, seeing that we almost dry fucked each other in my kitchen, I don't think we can go much further. But I definitely want to," Sharon replied, sliding a hand over his thigh as she leaned in, softly capturing his lips. He smiled a little before giving in completely to the kiss, carefully maneuvering Sharon until she was straddling his hips and one hand was cupping his cheek as the other rested against his chest.

He could kiss Sharon for hours, just holding her in his arms this close to his body. It was enough as long as she wasn't going to walk out on him, the way he had done to her all those years ago. He had come to realize that he needed her in his life again, that he should never have thrown her out of his life.

Andy slipped his hands under her blouse, caressing the soft skin of her lower back and he could feel her whimpering into the kiss. She rolled her hips, grinding them against his half hard erection and slid his hands lower, letting them come to rest on her ass as he sucked her bottom lip in his mouth.

"If we're going to continue this, I don't know if I can stop myself," Andy said softly after he pulled back, absentmindedly playing with a lock of her hair. Sharon smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. We really ought to stop. For now, that is," she ended with a grin, her fingers toying with a the top button of his shirt. Andy covered her hand with his and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her fingertips. Sharon hummed contently.

"So we're going to continue this one day?" he asked, hopeful of her answer. He hadn't felt this way in decades. He hadn't wanted a woman this badly in years.

"Yes, we are," Sharon replied, sitting up again and looking him in the eye. "When my arm has healed completely and when Ellen is feeling a little more at home or when she is placed with a foster family, whatever happens first."

"It's a date," he said with a small smile before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Sharon raised her eyebrows.

"A date?" she repeated incredulously, as if he had just said the most illogical thing she had ever heard.

"Yes, a date. I want to take you out to dinner, you know, candles, wine, the whole nine yards." Andy had to hold back a grin at her shocked expression. "What? You think I'm the type of guy who just wants to get in your pants?"

"I know exactly what type of guy you are, Andy, but even when we were officially together you were never did the whole romantic dinner thing." Andy nodded. Back then he had hardly been a romantic. He still wasn't, not really. But for her, he wanted to do it.

"I know. That's why I want to do it this time." He still regretted never really taking her out. But he was still a recovering alcoholic and she wasn't ready to be open about her relationship, especially when she was still technically married. It just never happened, but he had wanted to.

"Well then. It's a date."


End file.
